It's amazing how many theories there are about self-defense. Especially here on the internet, where anyone can freely distribute information, regardless of the truth or value of that information. Do you know what I mean?
It's true that there have always been self-proclaimed "experts" who could take advantage of the ignorance or naivity of a prospective student, even before the advent of the world wide web. However, back then, a student had to find one of these people - you had to leave your home to get with one of these so-called "experts.". Today, merely searching for self-defense using a search engine, puts you within easy reach of many more possibilities and potential huksters, than ever before.
Of course, in the age of the internet, there has also been a significant increase in the number of people who believe that they can merely sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen to learn everything they need to protect themselves in a real-world self-defense situation. Long-gone are the days when you had to actually go to the store, buy the book or video, and bring it home to read or watch. Now, all you have to do is to do a search on the phrase "self-defense," and the next thing you know, you're reading or watching something for little to nothing at all.
And, this includes...
...time ACTUALLY doing the work of learning.
Contrary to popular belief, the study of self-defense - of actually being able to protect yourself in a dangerous situation - requires more than simply reading something or watching someone else perform for you. You simply DO NOT get the same understanding that you do when you are actually participating.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you can't learn things from books and videos. What I am saying is, self-defense is not, say, math. In a dangerous encounter with a brutal assailant, you can't rely on a mentally memorized formula and then set out to answer this real-world problem like you can when you're learning to solve a math problem in school. With math, it doesn't matter what numbers they put in front of you or how the equation is laid out, you're not going to end up with a broken body part, or worse, if you get the answer wrong.
Not true with self-defense!
You must remember that, in a real-world self-defense situation, you will be punished for every mistake you make. And, never forget how high the stakes are.
What I'm talking about here is the difference between what many believe to be the same concepts. If you look up the word "knowledge," in a Thesaurus, you will also find words like "information," and "widsom." And yet, these concepts are very different. And, having one, doesn't necessarily provide you with the others.
Here's what I mean...
In the grander scheme of things, information - data - is just that... Information. It's what you get when you hear, read, or learn something for the first time. It is not, by itself, "knowledge" - the skill and ability to use that "information" - born out of practice - to where you don't have to think about it.
An example of this is tying your shoes. When mom or dad provided you with your first lesson about tying your shoes, you didn't suddenly know how to do it. It was still just information. You had to remember each step, in order, or it wouldn't work. You didn't know "why" the knot was tied that way, only that you were told to do so. And you certainly couldn't do it in a rush - under pressure - if you had to get your shoes on in a hurry because the family was running late.
Now, you "know" how to tie your shoes. You can tie your shoes quickly and even tie other people's shoes for them. In fact, you probably have "knowledge" about several different types of knots, and... You now know why you couldn't just tie the knot any old way - because you didn't want to have to grab a fork to pry it open!
But, there is a level beyond knowledge - a level where the person knows more than just "how" something is done, but "why," "when," "where," etc. This is the level of wisdom. The wise knot-tier know which knot for what job - and why that knot is best. He knows what makes for a good knot and what doesn't so he can actually combine knots or make up his own.
But, the wise person didn't get where he is by simply reading a book, did he? No... He actually had to break out the ropes and work with the knots - tying, untying, retying, dealing with mistakes, confusion, and the like. Hours upon hours of practice. And sometimes, he had to seek out someone who knew how to make the knots better than him - he had to actually put his knots to use, to know if he were really doing it right.
My point here is that, if you're really going to be prepared for what you MUST be prepared for when a situation arises, you must be able to do more than remember what you read or saw in a martial arts book or self-defense video - you're going to have to act!
Here's a brief list of what simply reading or watching a video about self-defense CAN'T give you:
1) Experience with handling the raw emotions and sheer animosity that will be coming at you in a real self-defense attack. In a good, solid, and well-structured program, there should be drills and exercises - aside from technique training - that will simulate some of this real-world energy.
2) Knowledge about what a technique feels like when it's being applied correctly. Many actively training students will tell you that, what they think they see their teacher doing from the angle they're watching from, can often be VERY different from what is actually going on.
3) Direct experience with how another human being is going to act and react to your technique. What you're seeing outlined in the pictures or video... Is the IDEAL - the technique happening with NO PROBLEMS.
4) Feedback from a qualified teacher. No matter how many times you read the same book or watch that awesome self-defense video by Sensei Joe-Cool, and no matter how well you "think" you're perfoming the technique in your self-training sessions...
...that teacher can't give you pointers or tell you where you're going wrong.
We can often think we get something, but we have to remember that, without a proper foundation and accurate knowledge about that "thing" already, we have no way of knowing if we really get what's being taught or conveyed.
I could go on and on about the benefits of getting off your duff and actually training, but I think you get the point by now. Sometimes, as in the case of learning self-defense, you can't rely on guess work and a lazy or know-it-all attitude.
Sometimes you actually have to get up and get moving. Otherwise, you're never going to know if you actually know what you think you know. And...
...thinking you know self-defense DOES NOT mean that you know how to defend yourself!
Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder of Warrior Concepts International. He is a highly sought-after trainer, consultant, and expert in the areas of self-defense, workplace violence defensive tactics, and personal protection. He is the author of several books, and videos, including: "The Science of Self-Defense," and the dvd, "Danger Prevention Tactics: Protecting Yourself Like a Pro," and is the co-producer of the self-defense & martial arts podcast called KUDEN. For more information and to download your free self-defense report entitled, "Fight Smarter - Not Harder" visit his web site at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com
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